SXSW has never hidden its left-leaning worldview. Last year, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at the event, commenting on privacy, voting rights and feminism.
Later that year, the White House hosted its own South by South Lawn in collaboration with SXSW, packing its traditional combination of music, pop culture and keynote speakers into a single day, though with a stronger focus on social issues, like the address on climate change with scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe and a virtual reality exhibit on the nature of solitary confinement.
It’s unlikely President Trump will host his own South by South Lawn. SXSW has already come out against the President’s now overturned travel ban, which prevented entry into the United States for people from seven Muslim-majority countries.
“SXSW is alarmed by the Trump administration’s decision to ban citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S.,” organizers said. “We stand against discriminatory laws and unequivocally support civil rights for all persons everywhere. Participation by speakers, artists, and filmmakers from around the world is crucial to the creative mix of ideas that makes our event meaningful.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean the festival works for the Democratic Party. Our current FBI Director James Comey will make an appearance despite being criticized for his handling of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server.
SXSW will also host a Tech Under Trump symposium, speaking about the future of Silicon Valley under the current administration. While the tech world is usually hailed for its progressive social values, certain major players like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk are more ambiguous in their support for Trump.
Other speakers and performers at this year’s SXSW include documentarian Erik Ljung, Russian protest art group Pussy Riot and New Jersey Senator Corey Booker.
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